Page 88 of Arseni
Please leave.
Please, please leave.
If Arseni wakes up while we’re still here…
Finally, Hudson nods, his eyes roaming to Arseni.The one look holds the breath in my lungs, like I expected him to just forget about the man I have to leave behind because I can’t bear to stay and watch him die.
“Baby…” The pet name is pushing it.I can feel that it’s pushing it, but Hudson doesn’t blink.He nods again and steps around me to get to Arseni.
“Wh-what are you doing?”My whole body tenses as I watch Hudson lug Arseni up by his arm.He grunts as he slings him over his shoulder.
“We need him.”
“But why?”
Hudson doesn’t answer right away.I follow him as he hauls Arseni’s body to the trunk of his car.
“Somebody has to take the fall for the photos in your house… I’m not going to let you go down for that.”
I blink at him, but he doesn’t look at me.Neither of us mention the absolute irony of that statement.He pops the trunk and strains to lift Arseni inside.Arseni’s body makes a thump, his foot hanging out.
“Thank you, but why would you think he’d take the fall?I… I’m sorry, I just don’t think I can spend another second with this man.He—he protected me from his boss, so he isn’t bad, and maybe he’s even an okay friend, but I’ve spent too much time around him already, and all I want is to be with you.”
Hudson looks at me and sighs.“Baby, that’s all I want too.And believe me, in an hour, we’ll leave Vegas forever, but we have to take care of this first.You don’t want me to have to go on the run with a fugitive, do you?”
“No.”I shake my head.“No, I…” My mouth hangs open as I think.Finally, I point to the trunk.“He’s selfish.He’ll never take the fall for me.”
Hudson’s jaw clenches, making my shoulders hunch at the anger that suddenly brews.“Yes, he will.”
Don’t respond.My brain yells it at me, but I don’t listen.
“How do you know?”
Hudson looks away, his anger near explosive.“Because he loves you.”
The tension in my shoulders releases abruptly, though my heart lowers to the road.I don’t know why it affects me so deeply to hear Hudson say it when I heard the confession just last night.But it hits me hard, and I realize for the first time that Nikita could see it too.That was the point in having me run to my death.
And Hudson… Arseni must’ve spoken to him.They must’ve maintained a relationship after all these years.
When Arseni asked me to tell him Hudson’s name, I had to refuse.I thought I was protecting him, but now I realize I was protecting me.I was ashamed.It was bad enough that I had sex with someone Arseni’s age.I couldn’t admit it was one of his friends.
If I had, maybe Hudson would be dead instead of the others.
I look at the trunk, my eyes seeking to implore Arseni for forgiveness he can’t give… But I notice something.
His foot.It isn’t hanging out of the trunk.
Hudson rubs his head, seeming lost in an enraged fantasy.He wanders the few feet to the trunk only to be kicked backward by a shoe to the balls.Hudson’s eyes widen as his clenched jaw drops, wheezing in a groan.He stumbles backward as Arseni whips out of the trunk, landing on his feet.
He tackles Hudson to the ground just as the psycho snaps into fight mode, his growl making me jump.Arseni lands a blow to Hudson’s face but makes the mistake of turning to look at me.
Hudson rips Arseni’s head back and throws him off.Manic eyes find me before Hudson starts to crawl my way like a figure from a scary movie.I scream.
Arseni jumps for Hudson, locking his arm around Hudson’s neck and pulling.“Run!”Hudson bucks, but Arseni holds on tight, and I do as commanded.I run.
And it’s a mistake.A stupid, moronic mistake that I’ll never forgive myself for.
I could’ve gotten a phone, the car keys, agun, but instead I just run over the dead men like a panicked woman without a fucking clue.It isn’t until the thought of grabbing a gun occurs that I remember the other one holstered on Hudson’s hip.
